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Pavlov Volcano Shows Signs of Activity

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Pavlov Volcano Alaska

Pavlov Volcano displays signs of seismic activity and it may erupt again for a second time this year.

Alaska’s Pavlov Volcano recently produced ground movements that determined scientists to believe a new eruption may be approaching.

Researchers discovered seismic activity in the region of the Pavlov Volcano, and they observed steam going out from the mountain. State authorities raised the alert level in the area.

The latest eruption took place in May 2016. Since then, the volcano showed continuous signs of activity. Experts say that another explosion could be expected by the end of the year.

Pavlov Volcano Breaths Again

As for the seismic events observed earlier this week, scientists from the Alaska Volcano Observatory explained that they faded away in the following days. The mountain also exhibited minor gas and steam emissions.

The Pavlov Volcano is covered in snow and ice, at 600 miles southwest of Anchorage. It covers an area of 4.5 miles and it possesses active vents located near the summit, towards north and towards the south of its base.

The Eruption History

Pavlov Volcano erupted more than 40 times since 1980 when geologists started to monitor its activity.

Some of the events produced volcanic ash that raised high above the sea level and became dangerous for jet pilots. The explanation is that the ash enters the engine rooms, where the heat transforms it into a hard glass that can affect the functioning of the plane.

In March, the volcanic ash managed to spread all over the eastern Canada territories.

The nearest community is located 37 miles of Pavlov. Cold Bay has a population of around one hundred inhabitants, has its own airport, and it is considered to be a major commercial center in the Alaska.

Another volcano that showed recent signs of activity is placed in the Chuginadak Island and its last eruption occurred in 2001. The ash clouds rose to 39,000 feet above the sea, and the waters brought to shores varied debris associated with the outbreak.

Wrangellia, the Line of Fire

Alaska is a part of the Wrangellia, a volcano line that exhibits signs of seismic activities and it is considered to be a part of an active continent building process. Wrangellia goes from the center of Alaska up to Yukon and British Columbia in Canada.

The zone shows multiple tectonic movements and volcanic activities. The local geology includes igneous rocks that were formed by hot magma reaching the surface of the Earth. The lava cooled off and solidified, either below or above the surface.

The rocks were determined to belong to the Triassic period. By Cretaceous, Wrangellia collided with North America and became a part of the continent.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Volcanic eruptions are probably lagging Global warming

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volcanic-eruptions-global-warming

A new study made by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers revealed that small volcanic eruptions are mitigating the effect of the greenhouse gases and curtailing the rate of Global warming by as much as half. As a matter of fact such volcanic activities may decrease the pace of warming in recent years and shorten up the predicted level of CO2 going in the atmosphere.

Technically the vast quantity of ash and gases released high in the atmosphere by the eruptions can block the solar radiations and put the dramatic cooling effect on Earth’s climate. Scientists believe theorized that explosion of Indonesia’s Mt. Tambora in 1815, for example, probably caused a severe cold spell in 1816 which became known as “Eighteen hundred and froze-to-death,” or “the year without a summer.”

Scientists did all these observations and calculations using balloons, laser radar, and including ground-based measurements.

Researchers found that dozens of eruptions around the world over the past 15 years may have reduced the greenhouse effects by about 0.005 to 0.12 degree Celsius. Over roughly that same time period, the rate of global warming has slowed, though surface temperatures have continued to rise.

The volcanic eruptions releases sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere which forms tiny droplets of sulfuric acid also known as volcanic aerosols, which can block sunlight. While previous studies have noted that effect from small volcanoes, the new study found that the effect is bigger than previously thought.

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